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Report finds drainage board could have violated state law

Published: Monday, April 22, 2013 at 8:55 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, April 22, 2013 at 8:55 p.m.

A misunderstanding is being blamed for a part-time employee of a Lafourche taxing board being paid nearly five times the amount allowed by state law.

The payment for the part-time secretary-treasurer of the Drainage District 1 was the subject of a Louisiana State Auditor Office report released Monday that states the district’s board could be in violation of state law.

An auditor’s report found the district’s Secretary-Treasurer Leroy Martin was being paid $1,200 monthly, when state law only allows for a $250 monthly payment for a secretary-treasurer.

Martin, who has served as secretary-treasurer for 45 years, began handling financial records for the district in 1967. His starting pay was $275 per month.

The district collects 0.9 of a mill on Lafourche residents south of Raceland, generating about $340,000 annually for drainage improvements, Martin said.

Through the years, the district collected more money, while taking on more projects and more responsibility. So did Martin.

“I just kept taking more and more responsibility each year. It wasn’t nothing to me,” Martin said, noting he took the job with the understanding it would be temporary until an administrator for the district was hired.

Though his duties grew to things such as supervising bonding issues, facilitating contracts and keeping minutes, Martin’s job title stayed the same. His pay did not, with $50 or so added to his salary incrementally as the years became decades.

Martin said he didn’t ask for the raises, but they were understood to have covered the increased responsibility and the fact he never filed any expenses though he traveled regularly to New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Houma on district business.

“This all could have been avoided if they would have changed my title (to administrator) or hired an administrator,” Martin said. “They didn’t want to pay $40,000 for an administrator and pay for an office when I was doing the job fine. It became a routine for me.”

The board has the authority to hire a salaried administrator to handle some of the duties Martin took on through the years. Martin said he tried to resign from the position multiple times but was convinced otherwise by district board members who were looking to avoid having to hire a more expensive district director.

Martin added the district’s records that included his pay were subjected to dozens of audits through the years, none of which raised the issue of his pay.

“Even when the district was started, nobody knew about this rule. Then after 45 years, out of the clear blue sky, I hear the state is investigating me for some infraction,” Martin said. “Nobody is guilty of anything in this thing. ... If the laws would have been changed with inflation through the years, what would a $250 salary in 1967 be today?”

The audit report indicates Martin and District Board Chairman Albert Guidry were unaware of the law. Guidry could not be reached for comment.

“Martin had been here a long time. We just accepted it as right, whatever the salary was given. Nobody really questioned whether it was right or wrong,” said Board Member Hugh Caffery.

Lafourche Parish District Attorney Cam Morvant II said he was aware of the issue and has been told the board will adopt the auditor’s recommendations on the matter.

“Dealing with the salary, it is one statute of many thousands in the state,” Morvant said. “They should have been aware of it, but they were not.”

The report also noted that public records were being improperly kept by the board. It said Martin didn’t keep digital copies of the records and stored them at his home. These practices make the records easier to lose and susceptible to damage, and impede their availability for public review, the report states.

Martin, now 83, worked in the Lafourche Assessor’s Office for half a century serving as the assessor for 18 of those years. His son, Mike, is Lafourche’s current assessor.

“It’s disappointing this all came up. It caught me completely unaware” Martin said. “I’ve always maintained a clean reputation and been an open book.”

Martin resigned from the board after hearing of the investigation.

Caffery said the board is advertising for a replacement.

Public servants, like those serving as drainage district board members, are required by state law to attend annual government ethics sessions, though the law stipulates no repercussions for those who do not.

It was unclear whether Martin would have to repay any of his past pay.

<p>A misunderstanding is being blamed for a part-time employee of a Lafourche taxing board being paid nearly five times the amount allowed by state law. </p><p>The payment for the part-time secretary-treasurer of the Drainage District 1 was the subject of a Louisiana State Auditor Office report released Monday that states the district's board could be in violation of state law. </p><p>An auditor's report found the district's Secretary-Treasurer Leroy Martin was being paid $1,200 monthly, when state law only allows for a $250 monthly payment for a secretary-treasurer. </p><p>Martin, who has served as secretary-treasurer for 45 years, began handling financial records for the district in 1967. His starting pay was $275 per month.</p><p>The district collects 0.9 of a mill on Lafourche residents south of Raceland, generating about $340,000 annually for drainage improvements, Martin said.</p><p>Through the years, the district collected more money, while taking on more projects and more responsibility. So did Martin. </p><p>“I just kept taking more and more responsibility each year. It wasn't nothing to me,” Martin said, noting he took the job with the understanding it would be temporary until an administrator for the district was hired. </p><p>Though his duties grew to things such as supervising bonding issues, facilitating contracts and keeping minutes, Martin's job title stayed the same. His pay did not, with $50 or so added to his salary incrementally as the years became decades. </p><p>Martin said he didn't ask for the raises, but they were understood to have covered the increased responsibility and the fact he never filed any expenses though he traveled regularly to New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Houma on district business. </p><p>“This all could have been avoided if they would have changed my title (to administrator) or hired an administrator,” Martin said. “They didn't want to pay $40,000 for an administrator and pay for an office when I was doing the job fine. It became a routine for me.” </p><p>The board has the authority to hire a salaried administrator to handle some of the duties Martin took on through the years. Martin said he tried to resign from the position multiple times but was convinced otherwise by district board members who were looking to avoid having to hire a more expensive district director.</p><p>Martin added the district's records that included his pay were subjected to dozens of audits through the years, none of which raised the issue of his pay.</p><p>“Even when the district was started, nobody knew about this rule. Then after 45 years, out of the clear blue sky, I hear the state is investigating me for some infraction,” Martin said. “Nobody is guilty of anything in this thing. ... If the laws would have been changed with inflation through the years, what would a $250 salary in 1967 be today?” </p><p>The audit report indicates Martin and District Board Chairman Albert Guidry were unaware of the law. Guidry could not be reached for comment. </p><p>“Martin had been here a long time. We just accepted it as right, whatever the salary was given. Nobody really questioned whether it was right or wrong,” said Board Member Hugh Caffery. </p><p>Lafourche Parish District Attorney Cam Morvant II said he was aware of the issue and has been told the board will adopt the auditor's recommendations on the matter. </p><p>“Dealing with the salary, it is one statute of many thousands in the state,” Morvant said. “They should have been aware of it, but they were not.”</p><p>The report also noted that public records were being improperly kept by the board. It said Martin didn't keep digital copies of the records and stored them at his home. These practices make the records easier to lose and susceptible to damage, and impede their availability for public review, the report states.</p><p>Martin, now 83, worked in the Lafourche Assessor's Office for half a century serving as the assessor for 18 of those years. His son, Mike, is Lafourche's current assessor. </p><p>“It's disappointing this all came up. It caught me completely unaware” Martin said. “I've always maintained a clean reputation and been an open book.”</p><p>Martin resigned from the board after hearing of the investigation. </p><p>Caffery said the board is advertising for a replacement. </p><p>Public servants, like those serving as drainage district board members, are required by state law to attend annual government ethics sessions, though the law stipulates no repercussions for those who do not.</p><p>It was unclear whether Martin would have to repay any of his past pay.</p>